Little White Lies
by South.for.Winter
Summary: When Regina has David over for lasagna and things don't go as planned, David ends up staying anyway. For EC Week 7 Day 1: David didn't leave after Regina made him lasagna.


Emma frowned at the sight of David's truck parked on the street directly in front of the mayor's mansion.

"What's he doing here?" Henry leaned up in the passenger's seat in an attempt to get a better look. "It's almost nine."

"Yeah, and your mom's gonna kill me."

"No she's not. I told you she said it was okay to have dinner at Granny's with you tonight. My bedtime isn't for another half hour anyway. Her car's not in the driveway, though." he noted as they passed and she rolled to a stop behind the pickup.

"Should I walk you in?"

"No, it's okay, I have my key if she's not here. Besides, the lights are on," he pointed out. "She let us have dinner together. I don't want anything to happen that makes her say we can't do it again."

"Right," Emma agreed. Don't want to push our luck."

"Bye, Emma," he said happily, opening the door and scooting out, slinging his backpack over his shoulders. "See ya later."

"Bye, kid." She watched as he made his way up the path, sparing one more confused glance at David's truck over his shoulder. She waited until he'd disappeared behind the door to drive away, wondering herself what David was doing at Regina's, especially this late.

* * *

The evening had not gone at all as Regina had planned, however it appeared to still be working in her favor.

However false her advances had been, the sting of rejection still bit shamefully at her, and things had truly taken a turn when David had found the faked note from Henry on his way out the door. An argument had ensued about Regina's intentions for the evening and her lies to get him to stay, but somehow she'd managed to talk him around to staying so she'd have a chance to explain herself.

She'd managed to convince him she'd done what she had out of loneliness and fear that he'd turn her down if she asked him straight out, promising never to do it again. She'd been so convincing in fact, that in the end, it had been _him_ apologizing to _her_.

After a few more minutes of chatting, he'd admitted he hadn't turned her down due to lack of interest. "_Regina, you're a beautiful woman, smart, kind, and I can't deny that there's some sort of chemistry between us,"_ he'd told her.

She'd had to hold herself back from chuckling at that. If only he knew exactly the shared history they had. Chemistry, indeed. He thought she was kind. How cute. But she'd managed not to laugh outright and listened intently as he continued.

He'd turned her down because of the two failed relationships he'd managed to get under his belt in the short time he'd woken from his coma.

They'd been talking for almost an hour now and the awkward tension had disappeared, drinks had been poured and a whole new tension had formed as they sat facing each other on the couch.

Regina had found herself surprised to be truly enjoying the company of the shepherd prince. She hadn't anticipated the easy banter between them, even after their friendly dinner conversation.

One moment they were talking and the next, quite unexpectedly - even for Regina - they found themselves leaning in. Close, closer, feeling the other's breath. They lingered for a few moments, breath shallow, hearts racing, gazes flickering between lips and darkened eyes before they closed the distance.

Regina was caught off guard once again at the electric feel that raced through her veins at his touch. She found herself sliding closer on the couch, and it seemed he had the same idea as she felt his hand at her waist, helping pull her to him. They leaned their sides into the back of the couch and the hand not trapped by her side went to his back, sliding up slowly toward his shoulder and admiring the muscles there. Coma or not, the curse had perfectly preserved his built physique.

She felt his hand slide up her waist, thumb stopping just shy of her breast and she pressed herself closer to him, giving him silent permission to let his hands wander freely. They broke only for air and she felt hungry for more. She hadn't gone these twenty eight years unsatisfied - not by any means. Graham had kept her sated, but this was new and different, and after twenty eight years she craved more. A thrill of arousal swept through her when she remembered this was also Snow's prince and her plans were coming together. She'd nearly forgotten.

Neither of them heard the front door or the light footfalls approaching. They did, however, hear the shocked cry of "Mom!" when Henry entered the living room, grinding to a halt in the doorway, eyes wide as saucers when he found them in their current compromising position.

They jumped apart, springing to their feet. David cleared his throat and Regina ran a hand through her hair, trying in vain to act as if they hadn't just been caught making out like teenagers on the couch by her ten year old son.

"Henry," she said a bit breathlessly. "You're home."

She'd lost track of time and in the heat of the moment, it had slipped both their minds that fake plans or not, Henry was due home any minute. While she'd had plans to seduce David, she certainly hadn't intended for Henry to walk in in the middle of it. He already had plenty of reasons to hate her - she didn't need to be giving him any more.

"Yeah. It's almost nine." He huffed an angry breath. "I thought you were letting me have dinner with Emma because I wanted to, not because you wanted me out of the house so you could steal Prince Charming from Snow White."

"Henry, I _did_ let you have dinner with Emma because you wanted to," she tried lamely, and it wasn't totally untrue. "I could have had you eat with Archie, or had Ruby watch you," she pointed out. "It didn't have to be Emma."

"But you admit you did it just to get me out of the house so you could make your evil plans without me trying to stop you," he pressed, and she sighed, shaking her head, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't sound like the complete lie that it was.

This was exactly what she'd wanted to avoid.

"Hey," David held a hand up. "There are no evil plans happening here. I'm here because I want to be."

"You only think you are," Henry said exasperatedly. "She tricked you here somehow, you just don't realize what she's doing."

And while that was true, not even David knowing the true extent of what was happening, she'd told him the truth about what had gone on this evening, and assuming this is what Henry was talking about, David told him as much.

"You knew that she lied to you and you're _still _here?" Henry grilled. "Why would you stay?"

"It's much more complicated than that," he explained. "Everything isn't black and white, Henry. Your mom had reasons for doing what she did."

"Yeah, to keep you and Snow from breaking the curse!"

"I'm not sure about all that," David said, "But I'm sure that she loves you and the way you're treating her isn't fair." And maybe he was overstepping his bounds, but in that moment, he didn't really care. "Curse or not, I'm able to make my own decisions and I want to be here."

"No, you don't! She's just making you think you do!"

"Enough, Henry." Even Regina was surprised by the admonishing tone from the normally mild-mannered David. "Your mom loves you, regardless of what you believe and you shouldn't be treating her this way. Do you _want _to hurt your mom?" He asked harshly, and Henry gulped, face sinking as he thought about it and finally shook his head minutely.

"No," he whispered.

"Then I suggest you apologize."

Henry swallowed again, looking appropriately chastised. "Sorry, mom."

Regina was too stunned to formulate a response, and before she could even think to open her mouth to say something, Henry had excused himself and darted up the stairs to prepare for bed. She glanced over to David to find him trying to convey as much support as he could through an expression not of sympathy, but of understanding. Rather than feeling annoyed as she normally would, she found herself grateful for once not to be alone against her son's onslaught of rage.

"I suppose we should call it a night," she finally said, and David nodded his agreement.

She walked him to the door, following him out onto the porch before closing it behind her.

"Thank you," she told him sincerely.

"No, thank _you_. Dinner was delicious. I'll pick you up in the morning and we can get your car from the garage?" he asked.

"Oh, David, that's really not neces-" she started, but he leaned forward and she paused her words as his eyes drifted down to her lips.

"I'm sorry," he told her, chuckling a bit, "but we were interrupted earlier, and I find myself thoroughly distracted. May I kiss you again?"

She nodded mutely, her breath stolen from her as he closed the distance, that thrill running through her again as their lips moved urgently against each other.

She let out an involuntary moan as he backed her against the door, her hands running up his sides as his slid down to her hips.

Eventually, she was the one to pull back, leaning her head against the door as she panted slightly to catch her breath. "We can't keep going tonight," she said breathlessly. "Not with Henry home."

He nodded his understanding. "I didn't mean to get so carried away."

"Neither did I," she admitted. "It's not your fault."

She took another moment to finish catching her breath. "About tomorrow, you really don't have to pick me up."

"I want to. You paid the garage to fix a non-existent problem so that I'd have dinner with you. Which has actually worked out terribly well in my favor. Let me pick you up in the morning? Please?"

"Alright." She smiled. "Henry can take the bus. You can pick me up."

"Breakfast at Granny's before?"

It was her turn to chuckle. "A little over-eager, wouldn't you say?"

"Me?" he smirked. "Again - you _paid money_ in a ruse to get me to have dinner with you."

"Fair point."

"So…? Breakfast?"

"Sounds great."

"Good."

"And maybe beforehand we can sneak out back. You still have that standing reservation at Granny's, don't you?"

He raised his eyebrows, but the way he looked to her lips again before meeting her eyes, it was obvious he wasn't opposed to the idea. "First thing in the morning? What would people say?"

"Not a thing. I know how to be discreet, unless you think you can't?" she questioned, quirking an eyebrow. "We can call breakfast a morning meeting, and if I'm late to town hall after picking up my car, I'm the mayor. Everyone's too afraid of me to question what I do in my spare time."

"Makes you wonder about the state of our political system," he joked. "In all seriousness, I'd be the biggest moron in the world to turn you down."

"And yet you almost did," she pointed out.

"Momentary insanity."

"Hmmm. I think we can forgive that."

"Perfect."

He leaned in for one more kiss, not allowing it to last as long as he pulled away with a disgruntled groan. "Tomorrow morning suddenly seems too far away."

She laughed. "Pick me up at seven."


End file.
